Sprache - Kultur - Kommunikation / Language - Culture - Communication

As illustrated by the above examples, language policy decisions are rarely made on scientific grounds alone, but reflect power differentials, attitudes and special interests.

3.Motivations and objectives

Language policy is invariably grounded in language ideologies which provide the motivations and objectives of particular language choices. Most prominent among these are nationalism, managing language conflicts, (indigenous and migrant) minority accommodation and/or protection, and language promotion and/or revitalization.

Spreading its language internationally as a foreign language is an objective pursued by a few Western countries only, joined by Japan and, recently, China. With the exception of the latter two the languages thus promoted are ...